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Gabe Solis was a software developer best known for his marriage to reality star Trina Braxton. His separation from Trina, and subsequent death from cancer, are topics of discussion on the current season of Braxton Family Values. Solis was 43 when he died.
Solis helped raise Trina’s sons Eric and Caleb Mojica. “A chapter permanently closed for my sons and I,” she said after Solis’ death. “For over 16 years, [he] was an essential part of our lives.” Learn more about Solis, his career, and his relationship with Trina Braxton below.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He Was Born Texas & Enlisted In the Air Force At Age 19
Solis was born to Mexican parents in Palacios, Texas. He was raised Catholic, and was an avid baseball fan as a child, going as far as to say that he wanted to play professionally when he got older. According to we TV, Solis enlisted in the Air Force at 19 because he didn’t want to stay in a small town and work at the local plant like most of his friends.
Solis didn’t see combat during his time in the Air Force, and instead worked as a counselor to help people move. He was honorably discharged after four years of service, and took up a job as a customer service representative at a cell phone company. He worked at the cell phone company for a total of five years.
Solis moved to Atlanta with his girlfriend at the time, and attended Georgia State University on the HOPE scholarship. The HOPE scholarship rewards students with financial assistance in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at eligible Georgia public and private colleges and universities. Solis got his degree in computer information.
2. He Met Trina Braxton At an Atlanta Bar & They Married In 2001
Solis met Trina Braxton at a bar called American Pie in Atlanta. He noticed her on the dance floor, and they started talking as the bar was closing. He asked Trina if they could bring their drinks and go outside to talk, and she responded by saying “No, you alcoholic.” They went to an IHOP to talk, and then they went back to Solis’ place and began to kiss in his bed.
Trina asked, “Has another woman been on these sheets?” She explained that she “didn’t want to sleep in another woman’s juices,” so Solis changed the sheets and she wound up sleeping over. They both claimed that they didn’t want to get into a serious relationship, but that didn’t stop the couple from getting engaged a year and a half later.
Solis took Trina to see Dreamgirls at the Fox Theater, and proposed to her on the rooftop of the Georgian Terrace Hotel afterwards. While she said yes, we TV said that Trina didn’t like the ring so they took exchanged it.
3. Solis Helped Parent Trina Braxton’s 2 Sons Eric and Caleb Mojica
While Solis didn’t have any biological children, he helped parent Trina’s sons from a previous relationship. Her sons are Eric, 21, and Caleb Mojica, 19. Trina reflected on the role that Solis played in her life, and how he was a huge part of her family. “Like all families, there are good and bad moments that are endured, but those moments, good or bad still made us who we are in the present,” she wrote on Instagram.
“I do humbly ask for your prayers for our families, but my greatest request is that when you are posting comments, remember Gabe’s passing is a loss for our family,” she continued. “He was a father to my boys, a son, brother, and friend to many and I would appreciate privacy and respect as we grieve his unexpected departure.”
4. He Was Caught Having an Online Affair on ‘Braxton Family Values’
Trina Braxton filed for divorce in 2013 on the grounds that the marriage was irretrievably broken. She accused Solis of being a serial cheater on Braxton Family Values, as he was caught having an affair with a transgender woman online. Solis addressed the scandal in a written statement. “First off I want to apologize from the bottom on my heart to my wife Trina who deserves none of this,” he wrote. “I have done many things that I am not proud of that I’m sure will all unfold in the coming weeks on the show, on the blogs, the newspapers and any other way it can unfold. I cannot undo the past.”
Solis went on to deny that he was attracted to transgender women. “I am very heterosexual. I have no clue who the ladydude woman is and I have never spoken to her/him/ or whatever they are claiming,” he explained. “Yes, I know I will be the target of many gossip bloggers because of my past record. Like I said, I have never resorted to same sex affairs or any physical affairs. I know that cheating is cheating and I am in no way making excuses… I very much want the help that it will take to restore my family.”
According to TMZ, however, Solis challenged the divorce, and requested another chance to fix their broken union. Solis was reportedly not ready to walk away from the marriage, and filed documents in a Georgia court to petition the divorce. He asked that a judicial declaration be made based upon the possibility of a reconciliation. The couple tried to work things out, but they eventually split and finalized their divorce on April 30, 2015.
5. He Was Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer & Died on December 20, 2018
Solis died on December 20, 2018. TMZ reports that he was surrounded by friends and family at the time of his death, but that the news came as a show to Trina and the rest of the Braxton Family Values cast.
A member of Solis’ family told MTO News that he went to the hospital “just a few months” prior to his death. “Imagine thinking you’re completely healthy, and going to the doctor and finding out you have a few months to live,” the family member said.
Trina Braxton posted a photo of Solis on February 9, which would have been his 44th birthday. “Rest in Heaven, dear friend,” she wrote. “Now We have our own personal Angel Gabriel looking over us.”
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Gabe Solis, Trina Braxton’s Ex-Husband: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know